Day 3

Little Yosemite Valley to a tent site on the way to Tuolome Meadows

Planned 7.4 miles

Actual 8.4

Song I started my morning with: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ubie4M6f0fj9PTJHnwfx7?si=VHmgY9VOSji0duw525p8QQ

It was a hard day for me with lots of rests and pep talks. I think it’s just the getting into the backpacking groove. I spent the morning chatting with Eagle and Melissa. Eagle lives in Santa Fe and has the one person version of my tent. She and Melissa met a few years ago and this is their first thru hike for themselves and together. Melissa is from Adelaide, Australia. She is a musician and film photographer llthat lives in the US for a few years until her visa ran out. Now she comes back a few times in the year to do the National Parks with Eagle. I didn’t run into them again for the rest of the day.

Took my time wandering up the 3,500 ft ascent. Saw a mama grouse and babies. I was mistaken for a flower by a hummingbird and butterflies. a rattlesnake and I both ran away from each other. I helped a few dozen mosquitos meet their maker.

Once I got to the top of the ascent, I spotted my first patch of snow and meandered through the gorgeous mix of granite stone and alpine meadow. Once I was through that section, I started to look for a place to camp.

Snagged an epic camp sight but then rain rolled in. I decided to set up the tent quickly and shelter from both the rain and the mosquitos that likely were coming to avenge their fallen kin.

The site was beautiful- over looking the valley but it was slightly exposed. I was worried that if the wind picked up , I would be forced to move sites. Because of that

I didn’t unpack my bag to keep it mobile and easily moveable. Then, the thunder storms rolled in.

— switched tenses (sorry between the blogging on an iPhone and retroactive posts) because I was real time blogging the below and didn’t want to change the post—

I’m counting the seconds between lighting and the thunder and we are under 3. The storm is right on top of the park

Sheltering here I am finding myself scared. My mind is asking all of the questions I wish I could have access to google for. What if lighting hits my tent? Is it better to be on my mattress pad? That insulates me from the ground, so it can’t hurt. Maybe I should shove clothing items under it? Maybe it’s better to leave the tent and do the lightning position in the meadow area? I’ve used my inReach a few times to check the weather forecast. I messaged Ryan to ask him my lightening question. Pretty sure he is shaking his head… he didn’t have an inReach when he was doing the PCT. According to the inReach it’s 100% rain right now (no crap) and until 6PM but it’s 10% at 7 PM. Yup. More thunder. Thunder is a lot scarier when I don’t have google to answer my questions.

I just put on my Spotify worship music to calm myself. Some Chris Tolmin’s Good Good Father may help.

Like Half Dome… I’m here even though I am scared.

That’s helping.

Enough for me to think about washing my legs and feet. I wore shorts today and got filthy. The plus side of it raining is that I don’t need to go to the water source. I just need to leave my towel outside the fly for a few moments and then I have a cleaning cloth.

God the Father. He’s a good good father.

Rather God the perfect parent (since gendering God is difficult to concept… and that we bear His image and we come man and woman— distraction of a comment).

God, the perfect parent.

What would a perfect parent do when they see their child scared?

On one hand, I would hope He would rush over to dispense care.

But what if I’m trying to learn something new? Do I want my parent to rush in and comfort me before I realize I’m scared?

I think a lot about children who fall in grocery stores how a lot time the don’t register they have fallen and something bad happened until they look at the adults and see their reaction.

Maybe comfort only comes when the child asks to be soothed.

As infants there isn’t really any grey area. Infant cries, then comfort should be available.

As the child gets older and their own will and personality begins to emerge… it makes sense that some distance has to happen. How can the parent respect the child’s free will if they rush in every time there is distress? Maybe it’s like First Aid Responders who have to ask someone clearly in need of medical attention, “would you like assistance?” Maybe God respects the free will He gave us even when we are desperately are in need and waits for us to open the door before stepping in.

On that note!

The rain has died down.

I hear something outside.

It’s a hummingbird!

Maybe the storm is on its way out. A hummingbird wouldn’t be concerned with eating if it was certain death outside.

It’s funny, I started the morning with a Hummingbird checking me out as I was leaving Yosemite Valley. My hiking shirt is bright pink and I wondered if it was thinking that I was a flower.

Now, I’m finding a different hummingbird’s wing buzz to be comforting.

I need to go through my JMT plan and verify I am on schedule or behind. I have a resupply box in Tuolome Meadows but enough food in my bear can for an extra day. My original plan was to hike 7.4 miles to a Sunrise creek tent site. Turns out when I got there I was feeling a bit better and went past it to find this camp site. According to my Guthook App, I went an extra mile and some, so that only puts me 10 miles from Tuolome Meadows backpacker camp. If the weather holds up and I leave here before 7AM, I have one major climb up (700 feet) first thing in the morning and then it’s a steady descent into TM. Assuming I keep a good pace, the latest I will get there is 6PM.

Hopefully it’s sunny during the day so I can air out my tent and rain gear.

I’m feeling a lot less scared now, enough to unpack and put on my sleep pants. If the rain lets up enough, I’m going to make dinner and go to bed early.